What did you miss this year at NAB? HD is only a buzz word if the camera is under $3,000. 2K is in. SD is out. It’s all about data. Apple thinks it’s re-invented the wheel in editorial. IPTV and mobile media are big. The Red invasion isn’t about communists taking over the world, it’s about a 4K camera for under $20,000. Systems aren’t changing drastically. They are, however, integrating and producing more efficiently.
So, how does any of this affect me and my process? Let’s look at some of the specifics.
Apple’s Final Cut Studio 2 is a good step forward for the company. They have entered the hardware game (beyond the Macintosh) with a partnership with AJA and a new IO HD box. The IO can capture and output 10 bit HD and SD media using Apple’s new ProRes 422 compression (demo of HD footage I saw looked great). Apple also introduced a new and robust app for grading called Color (very impressive) and for mixing they delivered Soundtrack Pro that has the ability to work in 5.1. They also announced a spruced up version of Motion as well as a new media and asset management system aptly named Final Cut Server.
These anticipated (and much needed) changes make FCS 2 a more competitive product on the market. But let’s be honest–it’s a good improvement, not a re-invention of the wheel. The black shirt mafia doing the Color demos make it sound like Steve Jobs invented secondary color correction. He didn’t. Will mixers or colorists start switching over to Final Cut? No. Not in the least. These apps are intended to augment editorial allowing editors to integrate more tools into their process, and that’s a good thing.
Another Jobs marketing coup was teaming up with Red Digital Cinema team to offer Final Cut as the editing system of choice for their highly anticipated 4K camera aptly called RED ONE. Red definitely had the hottest booth at NAB. I waited an hour in line to see the first public demo of the camera’s capabilities in a short film helmed by Peter Jackson. Yes, it kicked ass.
Adobe’s CS3 suite is a major upgrade to all their applications with better cross program integration and support for Intel Macs. It’s also great to have Premiere Pro back in the editing game. Makes for more interesting competition.
The Avid folks released Unity Media Network 5.0. It’s the only cross platform and cross application storage that can handle multiple uncompressed HD clients alongside multiple SD clients simultaneously. Avid, Final Cut and Adobe users on Mac and PC all sharing storage. That’s a big deal.
The end of tape? Almost. Sony, Panasonic and JVC are all pushing smaller cameras with data workflows. The P2 vs. XDcam battle is big. I’m not in love with the quality of either format but I am happy that Avid, Apple and Adobe are interested in making the use of these formats more transparent.
Overall, nothing revolutionary about this year’s NAB. The upside is that as our technical demands in production and post continue to grow, the suppliers are evolving with us and helping streamline our workflow, which in turn keeps the work looking good, the data well organized and the product delivered on time.
Miky Wolf is an editor at Big Sky Edit, New York.
L.A. Location Lensing Declines In 2024 Despite Uptick In 4th Quarter
FilmLA, partner film office for the City and County of Los Angeles and other local jurisdictions, has issued an update regarding regional filming activity. Overall production in Greater Los Angeles increased 6.2 percent from October through December 2024 to 5,860 Shoot Days (SD) according to FilmLA’s latest report. Most production types tracked by FilmLA achieved gains in the fourth quarter, except for reality TV, which instead logged its ninth consecutive quarter of year-over-year decline.
The lift across all remaining categories came too late to rescue 2024 from the combined effects of runaway production, industry contraction and slower-than-hoped-for post- strike recovery. With just 23,480 SD filmed on-location in L.A. in 2024, overall annual production finished the year 5.6 percent below the prior year. That made 2024 the second least productive year observed by FilmLA; only 2020, disrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, saw lower levels of filming in area communities.
The continuing decline of reality TV production in Los Angeles was among the most disappointing developments of 2024. Down 45.7 percent for the fourth quarter (to 774 SD), the category also finished the year down 45.9 percent (to 3,905 SD), which placed
it 43.1 percent below its five-year category average.
The two brightest spots in FilmLA’s latest report appeared in the feature film and television drama categories. Feature film production increased 82.4 percent in the fourth quarter to 589 SD, a gain analysts attribute to independent film activity. The
California Film & Television Tax Credit Program also played a part, driving 19.2 percent of quarterly category activity. Overall, annual Feature production was up 18.8 percent in 2024, though the... Read More